Art History, BVA312, week 7

Art History, BVA312, week 7

European art and Africa.

Today we are talking about the civilizations of Africa and when people from Europe influence Africa.

People of color showing up in European art.

Sixteenth Century St Maurices from German Influenced Areas

Saint Maurice 1520-25)

Lucas Cranach the Elder

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 – 1553). A court painter to Saxon Elector Friedrich II, the Wise. 

The importance of this German Renaissance artist, was that he exceeded with his painting skills and style only by Albrecht Dürer. The painting of Saint Maurice between 1520-25 amidst years of the German Reformation. The martyr Saint Maurice had become the patron saint of the Holy Roman Empire in the tenth century. However, the visual representation of his African descent did not appear until the thirteenth century, which is not surprising as in the earlier Middle Ages, Blackness was often associated with negative connotations, symbolizing evil, sin and the demonic. With the presence of dark-skinned musicians, servants and soldiers at the Holy Roman Emperor’s court, this changed to some degree in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century. Cranach’s work shows the Black Saint Maurice in a regal bearing, dressed in exquisite silver armor and a large plumed hat. His figure epitomized contemporary ambitions to expand Christian rule and represented the virtues of the perfect Christian warrior.

This was likely commissioned as a piece for a decorative idea for a "Collegiate church" .A staunch defender of the Old Catholic Belief, and was dedicated to Saint Maurice.

Meeting of St Erasm and St Maurice by Matthias Grünewald (1470-1528).Saint Maurice has been depicted as a black man or man of color before in different pieces throughout history from different artist.

Jan jansz mostaert portrait of African man (1525-30) They say it is the only known portrait of a person of color in early European art.

The black Tudor experience were not all slaves but members of the community.Hey might have served at the Emperor Charles V, court of Brussels. He had a man of color who was a archer called Christophle le More. He was given a The badge of the Virgin on his cap is a souvenir of a pilgrimage to Halle (Brabant).

Juan de Pareja (1606–1670)

 by Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez) Spanish

This was most likely executed by the artist of his enslaved assistant. During the early months in Rome of 1650. It was said that Velazquez signed a contract of manumission, this would liberate the slave from his bondage in 1654. That day forward the model Juan de Pareja professioned as a independent painter based in Madrid.

The Calling of St. Matthew (1661) Juan de Pareja

Shortly after that he painted this painting along with sneakily depicting himself in the painting.

Links talking about the presence of African people in england. Not talking about slavery but the freely thought and liberation of the depiction of these people of color.

Onyeka Nubia, Oxford Brookes University, “African Presence in Tudor England”

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sln6QzFualg

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ut62cOHkTc

 Africanus Talks Part 7

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWzsO8BhrIk

Miranda Kaufman: Black Tudors

 

Researcher of University of London's institute of the Commonwealth studies. Published her first book "Black Tudors". This describes the facts of the influence of colored people in art along with the untold truth of these people living in the community not just as slaves but as liberated people.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYQ8ttEigKE

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPhvVtxebnI

 Kaufman, M. (2017). Black Tudors: The Untold Story. Oneworld. Retrieved from https://oneworld-publications.com/black-tudors.html

 Onyeka. (2014). Blackamoores: Africans in Tudor England, their Presence, Status and Origins (illustrated, revised ed.). Narrative Eye.